Revellers at Victorious Festival cheer as Britain's HMS Prince of Wales sails from Portsmouth

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been given a colourful send-off as it sailed past a music festival on its way to exercises off the coast of America.

The £3 billion carrier set sail on Saturday afternoon and passed thousands of music-lovers at the Victorious music festival on Southsea Common in Portsmouth.

Pop favourites Sugababes were in the middle of their set when the giant ship sailed past with the crew lining the flight deck to get a view of the festival.

The Nato flagship is sailing to undertake training exercises with the US Navy as well as the Royal Canadian Navy, United States Marine Corps.

The programme is expected to include exercises with the F-35B Lightning jets.

The departure of the 65,000-tonne warship from Portsmouth Naval Base, Hampshire, was delayed from Friday, August 26, because of a technical issue

A Royal Navy spokesman declined to comment on the reason for the postponed

departure but said:

"HMS Prince of Wales' departure has been delayed. This will not affect her onward programme.

"HMS Prince of Wales will cross the Atlantic with her task group, ready to push the boundaries of un-crewed technology and the tactics used by the UK's two new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers."